Joel Pohjanpalo

Joel Julius Ilmari Pohjanpalo (born 13 September 1994) is a Finnish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie B club Palermo and the Finland national team. Pohjanpalo began his career with HJK, making his Veikkausliiga debut on 26 October 2011 at the age of 17; he moved out to Germany at age nineteen in 2013. After multiple successful loan spells in Germany and Turkey, Pohjanpalo left Bayer Leverkusen in 2022 and was acquired by Italian side Venezia, where he quickly became a fan favourite cult player, and as the team captain, helped Venezia promote to Serie A in 2024. After two-and-a-half seasons with Venezia, Pohjanpalo was acquired by Palermo in February 2025 for around €5 million. Pohjanpalo made his full international debut for Finland in November 2012 at the age of eighteen, and has since made over 80 appearances, including playing in matches for 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification, and in the UEFA Euro 2020 final tournament. Pohjanpalo is known for his strong heading and finishing ability.